Child of Phobos
by Sunflare2k5
Summary: Scarecrow finds out a secret from his past...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Batman and all previously published characters and places in this story  
are copyrighted by DC Comics. They're used here without permission, and are not  
being used for any form of profit. If you wish to reference my original characters,  
please contact me for permission first.

Child of Phobos – Chapter One

By Sunflare2k5

It was rare for any of Arkham Asylum's inmates to get mail. But today one of the  
guards shoved a letter through the food slot into the Scarecrow's cell. "Dunno  
who'd be stupid enough to write you, Crane?" the guard grumbled.

"Bet it's a restraining order from Elvira!" the Joker called out. Several of the  
other inmates laughed in response.

"Don't be ridiculous," the Riddler retorted. "Stephen King's finally picked up the  
option to write Crane's biography!" More laughter greeted that remark.

"I seriously doubt this missive has anything to do with your childish mockeries."  
Scarecrow sneered. "Now – if I may be allowed the time to peruse this..?"

"Crane's lips move when he reads…" the Joker stage-whispered; a parting shot.  
The Scarecrow glared down the hall; if only he could find a toxin that would finally  
affect that pasty-faced fool..? Then he turned his attention back to the letter.

He checked the address first; it was in Gotham City, though he didn't recognize it.  
But the name – Annabelle Leigh; it sounded familiar? With one long fingernail, he  
opened the envelope and began to read…

_My dearest Johnathan,  
__It's been years since I'd seen you… I'm not sure if you even remember me? __When I  
found you near my home, you were so wounded, so ill. But I took you in __and cared  
for you anyway. I'd wished you could stay with me, but you insisted that __there were  
too many people hunting you, hounding you, for you to stay in any one __place. I'd tried  
to respect your wishes, but now – I need your help._

Now he started to remember her? It was one of his early battles against the Bat,  
and it didn't go well at all. While the sudden autumn rainstorm did allow him the  
chance to escape, the near-freezing rain weakened his battered body even further.  
The Scarecrow concentrated on what few memories he had – a plump, merry  
woman in a riot of colorful clothing. Eyes of a blue as intense as his own, long  
black wavy hair with the scent of wisteria. Her crooning songs to him as cool  
hands soothed his fevered brow…

_They said that you were dangerous, insane… but I saw nothing of that from __you.  
I saw a lost and lonely soul, one who'd been tormented for being different; __the same  
fate I'd faced throughout my own life. I gave you what comfort I could, and I knew  
that I finally __loved you. I'd hoped that you loved me too – and part of you has stayed  
with me. __Our daughter, Joanna._

The letter slipped out of Scarecrow's hands to the floor. A daughter?! He racked  
his brains again, trying to think of anything that would have lead to his siring a  
child? But try as he might, there was nothing there; the concussion and fever  
had erased it. Finally, he picked up the letter again.

_She's ever so clever – nine years old and already doing high school level_ _work; I've  
home-schooled her, of course. I hope that she'll be a professor someday, like you__!  
I've told her about us, and she wants to finally meet you. Do you know if __that's even  
possible? Please, let us finally be a family…_

_With all my love,  
__Annabelle Leigh_

"…she loves me." Scarecrow whispered to himself. "Me?!" He'd experienced  
so many things at the hands of women: his mother's cruel abandonment, his  
great-grandmother's constant punishments, mockery from all his peers from  
childhood onward. But desire? Love? The closest he'd come to those was from  
Linda – and even now, he still wasn't sure she meant it? It was probably just  
a lure so that she could make him her lab-rat; it took some time, even for him,  
to shut down that mutation she'd forced onto him…

But he was determined to find out more. While Scarecrow hadn't given much  
thought to having a family (the odds of his finding a willing woman were slight,  
he admitted), Joanna did sound like a suitable heir? Someone to carry on after  
him, bringing the precious gifts of fear to the world once he'd fallen into his  
grave… yes!

Surely there was pen and paper somewhere in Arkham that he could use?

(to be continued…)


	2. Chapter 2

Child of Phobos – Chapter Two

By Sunflare2k5

Scarecrow wasn't sure exactly what to write in reply; though he was  
loath to admit it, he was actually feeling stirrings of fear. Annabelle  
sounded welcoming for the moment... but what word might anger her,  
or frighten her away? And with her, he'd lose his heir; an unacceptable  
option! But he didn't remember enough about Annabelle to read her,  
figure her out...

_The best I can do_, Scarecrow thought, _is to be honest about this. I've  
no need for tangled webs, not now... _With that, he picked up his pen,  
and began to write:

_Dear Annabelle,_

_I actually do remember you to some extent; injury and illness have  
unfortunately robbed me of most of those memories. But I remember  
your kindness to me -- a rare gift, indeed. While I was surprised to  
find out about Joanna, I am willing to be as much as a father to her  
as is allowed. Arkham discourages contact with the outside world; you  
might be allowed to visit, but minors cannot (for their own safety).  
Pictures of Joanna would be allowed, though? I hope to see you soon._

He signed his name with a flourish, then folded the small letter into  
the envelope. Now if the goons that Arkham called guards would  
allow this letter to go through..? Some of them took sadistic pleasure  
in destroying what few personal items the inmates were allowed. But  
he couldn't do anything about that -- except avenge it, if it happened.

For a week, Scarecrow brooded over this. Even his chess games, the  
only contact he chose to make with the other inmates, had become  
sloppy.

"Were you trying to give me the checkmate?" Two-Face asked him.  
Rather, Harvey did; Two-Face himself wouldn't have bothered with  
the warning. "You left yourself wide open..."

Scarecrow blinked down at the board. "...so I did."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Hoping for a visitor," Scarecrow admitted, then winced at the sorrow  
that appeared on Two-Face's unscarred side.

"Likewise..." Harvey muttered, then stood up and left the table.  
"Forfeit." he added, in afterthought.

Scarecrow just stared at the chessboard a few moments longer, then  
put up the pieces...

(to be continued)


	3. Chapter 3

Child of Phobos, Chapter 3

By Sunflare2k5

The next morning, Scarecrow was told that he'd have a visitor this afternoon…  
if he was willing to see her, that is. He only nodded in reply, trying to hold back  
his emotions; a moment of vunerability would be exploited mercilessly, as he'd  
learned so long ago.

Annabelle arrived after lunch, and was escorted to the small visitor area; it was  
rather dusty, and a few spiders had already taken up residence in the neglected  
room. She sat down in the wooden chair in front of the safety glass, and waited  
for the guards to bring her beloved to her…

Scarecrow's eyes widened a bit as he first saw Annabelle; she had changed  
considerably since he'd seen her last. She was thinner and paler now, and the  
bright paisley dress of greens and blues only emphasized that. Her hair was  
still black, but it hung lankly. And though she smiled at him, there was a sadness  
that still lurked within it. "Johnathan..?"

"What happened?!" he blurted out, then shook his head. "Annabelle… of course  
you'd have changed by now." _Idiot!_ He berated himself mentally. _You're the  
Master of Fear, you don't crumble before anyone!_

"Yes…" Annabelle laid her hand against the glass. "Leukemia does that."

It took him some moments to respond, but finally Scarecrow lifted his hand to  
touch the glass separating their hands. "How long..?"

"Without treatment, four months at best." Annabelle stroked the glass over his hand.

"And with treatment?"

She gave him another sad look. "Four months at best." She sighed. "So… I've  
decided against it. I don't see the point of taking all that I'd saved for Joanna,  
and selling off all that I have, when it won't give me any more time."

"Getting your affairs in order…" Scarecrow murmured. His hand trembled a bit  
against the glass.

"I wasn't sure how to tell her about you – or you, about her." Annabelle continued.  
"But once I knew this… well, I couldn't take this to the grave."

He nodded slowly. "How's she taking this?" he asked, trying to find something else  
to think about. He'd finally been loved, and she'd leave him so soon?!

"Oh, Joanna had suspected there was something worse wrong with me than just a  
bug… though I wish she'd been wrong, just this once?" Annabelle shook her head.  
"I'm still trying to find a guardian for her; there's not many people I know that would  
be able to take care of her. But I'll find someone, don't you worry!"

"And while we're speaking of Joanna…" Annabelle got out a manila envelope. "Here –  
I had copies made for you, but I can show you these now?" She pulled out the first  
photo and held it up for him to see.

It was of a girl with long black hair pulled back into a single braid. Large tortoiseshell  
glasses magnified her intense blue eyes; her face, while thin, had a delicacy to it that  
softened the angles… made her seem more elfin, instead of bony. She was pale,  
though not in the sickly way her mother displayed; the white ruffled blouse enhanced it.

Annabelle held up a second photo; this one of her and Joanna. Joanna was only a  
couple of inches shy of her mother's height, as they stood side by side. She was  
still in the same white ruffled blouse as the first photo, a black skirt printed with  
rich red roses, and black patent-leather shoes with lace-topped small socks.

"She's… beautiful." Scarecrow breathed out. "Of course, she got that from you..?"

"Joanna's the best of us both." Annabelle reassured him. "The best…" With that, her  
voice broke as she started to weep. Internally, Scarecrow cursed the glass that  
separated them, kept him from comforting her as she needed.

"All right – that's enough!" the guard with her interrupted. "You're gonna cry, do it  
outside…" He started to guide Annabelle back with a hand on her shoulder.

"You, you'll make sure my Johnathan gets these?" Annabelle sniffled, putting the  
photos back.

"Yeah, yeah…" the guard started, only to be near-impaled by Scarecrow's glare  
through the glass. "Um… I mean, he certainly will, ma'am?"

_Better_, Scarecrow thought. _He'd best respect my lady!_

(to be continued)


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Daisy is neither mine nor DC's, but was created by Dawn Lupton for  
the Justice League Role Playing Group at YahooGroups. She's used with Dawn's  
permission.

Child of Phobos, Chapter 4

By Sunflare2k5

Scarecrow tossed and turned in his sleep that night; he just couldn't get Annabelle  
out of his mind. He longed to touch her, love her, make her his once again… but how?  
As long as the walls of Arkham stood between them, they'd never be together.

_So_, he thought, _break down the walls! Or have someone else do it for me?_ And he  
knew just who to get for that task...

Next morning at breakfast, Scarecrow made sure to slip into the line of inmates so  
that he was behind Killer Croc. "How's Daisy doing?" Scarecrow asked quietly. He  
knew that the gigantic salt-water crocodile that Killer Croc had rescued and trained  
was the only living thing that the man would call a friend.

"She didn' get caught... so okay, I think?" The towering reptilian half-turned to look  
down at Scarecrow. "Why'd you ask?" he rumbled.

"Heard one of the guards mention that name, and that's the only 'Daisy' I know of  
around here." Scarecrow gave a small shrug. "Might be nothing, but I'll check. Okay?"

_And that ought to get his so-called mind stirred up..._ Scarecrow grinned to himself.  
_When I need him to, he'll be ready to explode!_

Throughout the day, whenever he could approach Killer Croc, Scarecrow noted that  
he was still trying to find out more about Daisy... but simply hadn't had any luck.  
And he reminded Croc to let him do the work: if Croc resorted to his usual methods  
of info-gathering, he'd only land in Solitary. And then what would he do?

By suppertime, Scarecrow launched his attack. "Oh... about Daisy?"

"Yeah?!"

"Chief of security was talking about her -- asked if anyone knew who could stuff  
and mount a saltwater crocodile?"

With a savage roar, Killer Croc charged the knot of guards at the cafeteria doors!  
Other inmates leaped into the attack, and it soon became a full-scale riot. The  
guards were soon overwhelmed by Killer Croc's berserker rage, and he led the  
charge to break out of the asylum.

Scarecrow simply kept his head down, and worked his way into the middle of the  
mob; he knew the ones at the edges of the mass would be targeted more easily  
by the guards. With long-legged strides, he let the Arkhamites carry him onward  
to freedom...

(to be continued)


	5. Chapter 5

Child of Phobos, Chapter 5

By Sunflare2k5

Once the inmates had broken through Arkham's defenses and started to scatter,  
Scarecrow parted ways with them. He didn't need their help anymore to reach  
Annabelle; let the police or the Bat deal with them, for all he cared!

Nearby in the woods, he'd secreted a packet of clothing and supplies in one of  
the hollow trees -- the one that with its two remaining large branches seemed  
to be screaming and waving its arms at all who approached. The cache was  
intact; the clothes were rather oversaturated in cedar scent, but it had kept  
them pest-free.

Scarecrow changed swiftly, slipping the capsules of fear toxin from the small  
metal box in the middle of the original bundle into various small pockets he'd  
sewn into this set of clothes. The inmate uniform he'd discard elsewhere along  
the way, as he headed into nearby Gotham.

Annabelle's apartment was near one of his main labs; the reason that he'd  
crossed her path all those years ago. Scarecrow made his way through the  
streets to her, an old nursery rhyme running through his head:

_**Goosey Goosey Gander  
Whither wilt thou wander?  
Upstairs and downstairs  
And in my lady's chamber!**_

_And I'll reach __my__ lady's chamber soon!_ Scarecrow grinned to himself, almost  
skipping into the apartment building before he realized what he was doing.  
He slowed his pace to something more sedate, trying to hold back his  
excitement as he reached Apartment 101. He reached out and rang the bell...

Annabelle blinked; who'd be at the door at this hour? She checked at the  
peephole first -- and gasped as she recognized her visitor! Quickly, she  
unlocked the chains on the door and let him in. "Johnathan... oh, my..."

He shut the door behind him with a push of his foot, then embraced her.  
"Annabelle, my love..." He bent down to her as she tilted her face up to his;  
their lips met in the middle, as they both savored the first kiss of their  
reunion. They continued to kiss more deeply, hands starting to explore  
each other, until...

"I do hope that's my father?" Joanna lifted an eyebrow at them, as she  
leaned nonchalantly against the doorjamb to her room.

Annabelle blushed deeply, but slipped her arm around Johnathan's waist  
as she turned to face her daughter. "Yes -- he is!"

_Definitely__ my child_, Johnathan thought as he reluctantly disengaged from  
Annabelle to stand side-by-side with her. "Joanna -- how good to see you."

Joanna stepped forward, offering her hand up to Johnathan. He half-knelt  
and pulled her into an embrace. "A handshake for your father?" he gently  
chided her.

"Sorry to interrupt -- I'd never seen Mother do that before, was all." Joanna  
admitted, a slight blush tinging her cheeks.

_So she did wait on me, after all?_ Johnathan thought at this.

Annabelle hugged both of them to her. "We're finally together... our family!"  
The three of them spent the evening talking about their lives, though he  
let Annabelle and Joanna do most of the talking. "Most of what I've done  
has been published, anyway..." he explained.

Joanna didn't have much to report; her intellect had been discovered early,  
so her home-schooling started almost immediately. Though she did admit  
the teasing from the other children about how scrawny she was and how  
fat her mother was helped make the decision to leave public school easier.

Annabelle herself worked as a virtual assistant when she wasn't watching  
over her daughter. Her mother, "Jolly Annie" Leigh, had made a fair bit of  
money in the sideshows as a fat lady and singer; she'd invested it well,  
but Annabelle had put most of it aside for Joanna's college fund. "We do  
well enough, Johnathan... you've nothing to worry about on that score!"

And after Joanna had gone to bed, Annabelle led Johnathan into her own  
bedroom. And the two of them thoroughly enjoyed their reunion...

(to be continued)


	6. Chapter 6

Child of Phobos, Chapter 6

By Sunflare2k5

Johnathan awoke first, still cradling Annabelle close to him. She was smiling  
in her sleep, and he smiled back at her. He didn't realize he could find such  
joy -- or give it in return. He brushed small kisses over her lips and cheeks,  
urging her awake.

"...mnph." Annabelle opened her eyes. "Johnathan?"

"I, beyond all limit of what else i' the world, do love, prize, honour you."  
He kissed her again, more deeply, to punctuate his words; she began  
to respond in kind... And some time later, they were ready to finally leave  
the bedroom and start their day.

Joanna was already sprawled back on the couch, distractedly finishing off  
some toast as she read a copy of The Harper Hall of Pern. Johnathan  
nodded to himself at the sight; he'd lost track of how many times he'd read  
while eating. Were habits hereditary? he wondered...

Only to be interrupted, as something **slammed** into the living room door!  
The door shuddered, then the hinges finally broke as the door was struck  
again -- it tumbled to the floor, as a Gotham SWAT team rushed over it!  
"Surrender now, Scarecrow -- we know you're in here!" one of the team  
wielding the ram bellowed. The others behind him fanned out, weapons  
readied.

Joanna froze on the couch, book and food slipping out of her hands.

Annabelle, at Johnathan's side, reached out helplessly toward her daughter.

Johnathan started to lift his hands in surrender -- something he'd never  
do normally. But right now, his freedom wasn't as important as the safety  
of his family.

One of the team yelled, "You won't get me again, Scarecrow!" as his  
finger tightened on the trigger...

**_K-POW!_**

...and Annabelle didn't even have time to scream, before she slumped  
to the floor.

There was a moment of stunned silence, once the reverberations of the  
shot had ended. Then all hell broke loose!

"That was a civilian, you idiot!" the SWAT team leader bellowed. Another  
of them started forward, trying to check on Annabelle. Johnathan was too  
stunned to move.

Then Joanna screamed -- a high-pitched, gibbering wail. As the sound hit  
them, pain started to burn through their bodies from the inside out! It  
didn't seem to affect Johnathan as much, but he still fell to his knees; the  
others had fully collapsed.

He forced himself forward, over the slumped bodies, trying to reach his  
daughter. She'd stopped screaming, and was now shuddering in place  
on the couch. Her pupils had shrunk to pinpoints; something that he'd  
only seen before in certain types of poisoning.

Johnathan gathered her up in his arms, and rushed out of the apartment  
with her before the others could awaken. He couldn't save Annabelle...  
but he had to save Joanna!

(to be continued)


	7. Chapter 7

Child of Phobos, Chapter 7

By Sunflare2k5

Johnathan hurried out of the apartment building, pausing only to take a quick look  
around to see if he might be spotted. While he could honestly claim that Joanna  
was ill, the hospitals all had notices against him. But in this section of town, there  
wasn't much activity. He slipped into the storm drains with Joanna over his shoulder,  
and hurried to his nearby lab before his adrenaline surge gave out.

He set her on a bed, and started checking her: Joanna's respiration was rapid, as  
she trembled like a leaf. She didn't respond as he spoke to her, and her pupils  
were still in the pinpoint stage. _She couldn't have been exposed to any poisons..._  
_what could be __causing__ this?!_ he wondered, as tears filled his eyes.

Johnathan touched her cheek, turning her head toward him. "Don't leave me...  
please, don't leave me!" he pleaded. "I can't lose both of you!" But she showed  
no response to his moving her head; her eyes were still in pinpoints, unseeing...

Then her eyes widened as far as they could, pupils going from their smallest size  
to their largest. He felt like he was falling into the darkness within them, as a  
terrible pain shot through his head. Johnathan's body slid to the floor limply; his  
mind too lost to keep control over the flesh!

_She was looking up at her mother, as they picked out clothes at the Goodwill...  
"Isn't this pretty?"__** A chorus of schoolkids' voices chanting on the playground,  
"Scarecrow, scarecrow, ugly little scarecrow!"**__ A woman's voice, singing on  
a record. "That's your grandmother, Jolly Annie Leigh..." __**His great-grandmother  
standing over him, switch in hand, as he recited over and over again:  
"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."**__  
"My mother is __not__ a pig; you take that back!" __**"Geez, Professor..." Harley popped  
her gum. "Dontcha ever eat?" **__What's happening?__** My mind!**__ I don't know --  
help me! __**Help me! **__H__**E**__L__**P**__**U**__S__**..!**_

Johnathan's eyes snapped open. He struggled to get up, dragging himself up  
to reach his daughter. She was curled up on the bed, sobbing. _~I'm sorry, I'm  
sorry... oh God, does __everyone__ in the world hate you?!~_ He heard her voice crying  
in his mind.

"Shh, shh..." He drew Joanna into his embrace, trying to comfort her. "As long  
as you don't hate me, it's all right. Please?" He couldn't hold back his own tears;  
the past wounds reopened, combined with his present tragedy, made the pain  
too great for him to bear.

"Mother... she's gone... I** felt** her die!" Joanna whimpered. And the two of them  
mourned her loss; Johnathan for losing the love he'd just found, and Joanna for  
losing the love she'd always known. He rocked her back and forth, trying to give  
and find comfort in the gesture. She finally fell asleep in his arms, and he gently  
covered her with a spare blanket. He set up a chair beside her, determined to be  
there for her. But he in turn succumbed to his physical and mental exhaustion...

(to be continued)


	8. Chapter 8

Child of Phobos, Chapter 8

by Sunflare2k5

Johnathan awoke suddenly, realizing he'd nearly fallen out of his chair. His  
daughter was still sound asleep on the bed. He felt a gnawing in his stomach,  
and reluctantly left her side to get some food. Johnathan settled back down  
in the chair, an opened can of ravioli and a bottled water at his side. He ate  
and drank without tasting the food... his mind far away.

_She's a meta?! Why didn't Annabelle tell me?_ Johnathan thought, then frowned.  
_Of course, announce something like that at Arkham and by now Joanna would have  
been pressganged into the Suicide Squad!_

Joanna stirred, and opened her eyes. He started to speak, but before any word  
left his lips she told him, "I'm as well as can be expected."

"I didn't say..?" he started.

Joanna switched back to telepathy._ ~I heard you were about to ask how I was?  
So I answered.~_

_~I'm going to have to get used to this...~ _he thought back.

_~Not so loudly, please? I can hear you just fine from this distance.~_ she replied.

"Sorry." He frowned. "But I didn't know you could do this?"

"If it helps... neither did I." Joanna sat up on the bed, legs dangling off the side.  
"I mean, I suspected that my intellect and memory capacities were a genetic  
gift... but not one we chose to investigate."

"Because of me?" Johnathan offered.

Joanna nodded. "Mother didn't think the government would trust us, and any  
medical facility that could test for the metagene would have to report its results  
to the government."

"Any legal facility." Johnathan smiled. "Fortunately, I know ways around that..."

"And once we find out all I can do, then we avenge Mother's death!" Joanna  
was quite thrilled with the prospect.

**_"We?"_** Johnathan frowned at his daughter.

"We." Joanna stated firmly, blue eyes glittering behind her glasses. "Face facts,  
father. As far as the law's concerned, I'm a target too. They already proved that!"

Johnathan pondered this. As much as he wanted to deny it, the police gunned  
down his Annabelle just for being with him... why would they show any mercy  
to his child? Finally, he spoke. "... all right. I get you examined and equipped;  
that should give my contacts time to get the identities of those policemen."

Joanna hugged him. "They'll live just long enough to regret this!"

(to be continued)


	9. Chapter 9

Child of Phobos, Chapter 9  
by Sunflare2k5

When the Arkhamites got hurt, they went to "Needles"; a doctor who  
easily could have posed for all those statues of the smiling Buddha.  
While not much was known about him, they knew three things. First,  
he was brilliant at his work. Second, he was quite discreet; no-one  
had gotten him to turn over a patient to the cops. And third, that he  
was a meta; "Needles" was able to mentally scan and diagnose his  
patients... it worked as well as X-rays, but was much easier to use in  
the field. So Scarecrow set up an appointment with him via Unternet,  
hoping that he might be able to diagnose Joanna's metagene.

The next contact Scarecrow had to make was one that he dreaded...  
he was going to have to call upon the Penguin. And while it had been  
over a year since that ill-fated time he'd worked for Cobblepot, he also  
knew that Cobblepot could hold a grudge for a long time. But there  
were things he needed done. At least this time he could pay for the  
favors, rather than approaching him hat in hand?

**Penguin, I need your help. Information for which police were sent  
after me, and I need some of your men to deal with a crime scene.  
But I'm not looking for a cleaner... I just don't want the scavengers  
getting to it. Yes, I'll pay for it -- in money and information. Do you  
wish to discuss further?** Scarecrow sent the message and waited;  
soon, a reply popped up.

**You still owe me for that damnable Scarebeast. Why should I bother  
to help you?!**

**It's not for me -- it's for my daughter's sake!** Scarecrow sent back.

**...daughter? I take it this is part of the information you mentioned?**

**Yes. I'd found out that Annabelle -- she'd saved me 10 years ago --  
had borne my child. The police found me at her home; one of them  
tried to shoot me while I was surrendering, a** Scarecrow couldn't  
continue; his hands shook too much to keep typing.

Penguin pondered this; he wasn't fond of the Scarecrow, to say the  
least. But he could almost picture the scene -- and Penguin's honor  
wouldn't let such hurt to a child go unavenged. Penguin finally sent:  
**I... understand. And the contents of the apartment would be your  
daughter's inheritance?**

**yes**

**Very well. For her sake, I'll accept this deal.** He hoped that it  
hadn't been any of the cops he'd paid off that were involved with  
this -- but only because Penguin wanted to personally punish such  
crimes!

Scarecrow sent the link to an Unternet bank account. **There's fifty  
thousand. That should cover the information and a year's storage?**

**Agreed.** Penguin sent back, and cut the messenger link.

That went better than expected... Scarecrow thought, as he switched  
programs from the Unternet back to the Internet. He called on one of  
his anonymous email accounts, and sent off a message to Mai. Tonight  
she would earn her keep, for helping in his daughter's rebirth...

(to be continued)


	10. Chapter 10

Child of Phobos, Chapter 10  
by Sunflare2k5

"Needles" was busy with other patients, so Scarecrow decided to take his  
daughter to see Mai instead. Susie Mai was one of Gotham's most popular  
fashion designers, known for her incorporation of supervillain costume  
pieces in her work. What the public hadn't figured out yet was that she was  
only allowed to do this because she was making their costumes in the first  
place?

As agreed upon, they met at the warehouse space Mai used for storage.  
Scarecrow was back in full costume, and Joanna was at his side. "I need  
a new design -- it's for her." He indicated his daughter with a hand on her  
shoulder.

Mai looked Joanna over. "Something that ties in with your theme, I take it?"  
she asked Scarecrow.

"Well, I already have an idea on that..." Joanna noted. "If you could spare  
some paper and a pencil?" Mai handed them over, bristling a bit internally.  
She didn't like having a child telling her what to do... but she wasn't about  
to take on the Scarecrow over this point?

Joanna started with a quick outline of her body, then started sketching over  
that; she added notes alongside the picture. A patchwork dress ("use black  
and grays for this") with flared sleeves ("minipockets for toxins inside sleeves")  
over a black Kevlar bodysuit ("ragged cuffs mid-calf; make it look like boots").  
A full-head mask in white with long straw hair ("layered effect; fasten about  
four rows together") and a smaller version of the conical hat Scarecrow had  
first worn topped off the design.

Scarecrow nodded his approval. "It's perfect, Fright." he told Joanna, then  
looked to Mai. "This design -- it's a rush job. Yes, I'll pay the extra for it."

_~Fright?~_ Joanna thought to her father. _~What about..?~_

_~Friitawa?~_ Scarecrow thought back; his mental voice dripping with scorn.  
_~She took the name without my permission, presuming she'd be my partner.  
And it's not like she had really done anything with the name, anyway? She'd  
left Gotham long ago, and good riddance to her!~_

Joanna sighed to herself; her father may have tried to cover it over with scorn,  
but Friitawa's betrayal broke his heart. And since she'd lifted up his heart in the  
first place, it had so much further to fall..._ Someday, I'll make her pay for that!  
_Joanna swore.

But that would wait until later; first, she and her father would avenge her  
mother's death at the police's cowardly hands!

(to be continued)

**Author's Notes (at bottom so as not to spoil this chapter):**  
Susie Mai is from one of the "Batman Black and White" stories (Volume 3  
collection). I'd just wondered how she managed to keep the villains from  
targeting her for using their costumes… so here's my theory.

And yes, I know that in canon Friitawa came back to Gotham to work for  
the new Black Mask. This is set some time before that happened.


	11. Chapter 11

Child of Phobos, Chapter 11  
by Sunflare2k5

Gotham was busy tonight, because of the Scarecrow. The Penguin was  
tracking down records of the cops who attacked Annabelle's apartment.  
Some of his men had already carted off everything but the wallpaper and  
gotten those items stashed away in one of the Penguin's storage facilities.  
Susie Mai was working on the costume that would transform Joanna Leigh  
into the new Fright.

And Commissioner Gordon was looking over the reports: Leigh was dead,  
her daughter missing; no witnesses available. The SWAT team sent in were  
all suffering from the same malady of horrific pain throughout their bodies.  
The doctors were still trying to find a cause, but so far their tests hadn't  
found any of the Scarecrow's usual toxin array. "Now what do I do..?" he  
muttered.

"I find the Scarecrow, and get the answers out of him."

Gordon whirled in his chair; even after all these years, Batman was still able  
to sneak up on him. "And get her back, before he hurts her..?" Gordon asked.

"Of course." Batman's voice was firm. "He wouldn't see her as a child, just as  
something he could use."

"We won't let that happen!" Gordon exclaimed – only to see that Batman was  
already gone. "Good luck…" he said to the opened window, knowing that even  
if he wasn't heard, that Batman would know he'd said it.

(to be continued)


End file.
